News

HHS Announces Proposed Rule to Strengthen Nondiscrimination in Health Care

On July 18, 2022 by LeadingAge

On July 25, the US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Civil Rights (OCR), issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to revise regulations relating to Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (Section 1557), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics), in covered health programs or activities.

DHS Conducting Survey on Waiver Reimagine

On July 14, 2022 by Jeff Bostic

Earlier this week, the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) released a survey to get input on their Waiver Reimagine effort. Waiver Reimagine is designed to combine the current four disability waivers into two. Under Waiver Reimagine, the current waivers, based on the type of disability, would be replaced with waivers based on the type of service received (living independently vs. residential).

CMS Releases Nursing Home Survey Guidance for Phase 3 Requirements

On June 30, 2022 by LeadingAge

On June 29, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released long-awaited updates to the nursing home surveyor guidance found in Appendix PP to the State Operations Manual.

COVID-19 Testing: Resource Roundup and MDH Upcoming Changes

On June 30, 2022 by Kari Everson

Testing residents and staff for COVID-19 became a standard throughout the pandemic, and guidance frequently changed, which gives way to uncertainty on current guidance and recommendations for testing requirements, test interpretation, and test procurement.

Updates on DHS Background Studies

On June 30, 2022 by LeadingAge

As we have shared earlier, the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) website now confirms the extension of the July 2 deadline by which employees with emergency background studies must clear fingerprint-based studies until the end of the year. Individuals who received emergency studies must have a fully compliant study by Dec. 31 to continue working after that date. Information about emergency studies and ongoing updates about the transition from emergency studies to full compliance.

Sample Side Rail Tools Now Available

On June 30, 2022 by Kari Everson

LeadingAge Minnesota has worked with nurse partners to develop tools to assist members with side rail assessments in assisted living settings.

DHS Confirms Extension of Background Check Resubmission Deadline, Other Flexibilities

On June 16, 2022 by LeadingAge

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) website now confirms the extension of the July 2 deadline by which employees with emergency background studies must clear fingerprint-based studies until the end of the year. Individuals who received emergency studies must have a fully compliant study by Dec. 31 to continue working after that date. 

MDH Provides Flexibility and Clarification for Nurse Aides Working Under the 1135 Waiver

On June 2, 2022 by Anna Mowry

On June 6, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will terminate the COVID-19 waiver that has allowed nurse aides to serve seniors without being on the Nursing Assistant Registry. Nurse aides hired or worked during the waiver have until Oct. 7 to be placed on the Minnesota Nursing Assistant Registry.

On a monthly Nurse Assistant call, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) had previously communicated near-term deadlines for those working under the 1135 Waiver. With the termination of the waiver quickly approaching, we advocated strongly for flexibility and further clarity on the action required for those working under the waiver to ensure nurse aides can continue providing services for seniors throughout the state.

MDH has provided helpful clarification on the three different pathways to transition caregivers who have been working under the 1135 Waiver.

Three Pathways

Pathway 1: Enroll in a state-approved Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation Program (NATCEP) and complete the training program and pass the exam by Oct. 7.

Pathway 2: Enroll in a NATCEP training program, but take advantage of the transition pathway developed by MDH, allowing facilities to credit training received while working in a long-term care facility under the waiver towards the required 75-hours of training. Individuals taking this route must still enroll in a NATCEP program to ensure training requirements are met and assist in completing any additional training needs. The training and testing must be completed and passed by Oct. 7.

Pathway 3: Choose not to enroll in a NATCEP program, but challenge and pass the test before Oct. 7. The nurse aide will have three attempts to successfully pass the knowledge and skills exams. If they do not pass the test by Oct. 7, they cannot work as a nurse aide until completion of a NATCEP program.

Please refer to the updated MDH document Placement on Minnesota’s Nurse Aide Registry for Nurse Aides Working during the 1135 Waiver for more information on these pathways.

We will continue to work closely with our partners at MDH and Minnesota State Colleges to discuss strategies to ensure all caregivers working under the 1135 Waiver are successfully trained, tested, and transitioned to be on the registry by Oct. 6.

If you have questions or need assistance with this process, please reach out to Anna Mowry, Director of Workforce Solutions at LeadingAge Minnesota.

Nursing Homes Action Alert: Write to CMS to Oppose Proposed Payment Cuts

On May 19, 2022 by LeadingAge

We encourage care centers to participate in a letter-writing campaign targeted at payment cuts proposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

CDC to Streamline Some NHSN Reporting

On May 5, 2022 by Jonathan Lips

In a recent national stakeholder call, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) previewed changes coming to the COVID-19 Long-Term Care Facility module and vaccination reporting module in NHSN. Beginning May 23, reporting in both modules will be streamlined to simplify some reporting.

Reminder: Certain CMS COVID Waivers Expire May 7

On May 5, 2022 by Jonathan Lips

Several of the CMS blanket COVID-19 waivers are expiring on May 7.

In a memorandum released last month, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it will terminate several temporary emergency declaration blanket waivers that have provided nursing facilities and other provider types with flexibilities designed to support the COVID response.

New Quick Guide to Understanding State & Federal Nursing Home Quality Measures & Programs

On February 17, 2022 by Julie Apold

LeadingAge Minnesota is offering a new quick guide to help members understand state- and federal-level nursing home quality initiatives.

The Data Sub-Committee of the LeadingAge Minnesota Quality, Safety & Performance Excellence Committee developed Understanding the Quality Measures: A Quick Guide to Federal and State Care Center Quality Measures & Programs.

OSHA Issues Temporary Emergency Standard for Healthcare Settings

On June 16, 2021 by Jonathan Lips

The US Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on June 10 issued an emergency temporary standard (ETS) to protect healthcare workers from contracting coronavirus.

COVID-19 Screening Protocol Changes

On December 9, 2020 by Kari Everson

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) modified how surveyors should look at staff screening procedures and they have removed the requirement for active screening. Requirements for the organization in reference to staff screening include the need for a screening process that all staff must complete prior to or at the beginning of their shift.

Nursing Homes: Is Federal Regulation Tough Enough?

On September 11, 2018 by Jodi Boyne

A hearing last week in the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight explored whether federal regulations for nursing homes were tough enough. 

Care Center Regulatory Updates Available from MDH and CMS

On August 7, 2018 by Jonathan Lips

The Minnesota Department of Health has posted the recording and transcript of its July 16 statewide regulatory conference call for care centers.  

GAO Report on Assisted Living Finds Gaps in Data Collection by CMS and States

On April 17, 2018 by Jodi Boyne

A recent report on Medicaid assisted living services by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) calls on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to improve how it collects, reports, manages and monitors information about Medicaid assisted living services.